Twilight

[Queen Of The High Teas]

I found Twi curled up in her bedding earlier on today. I have no idea what took her, however I think judging from the way she was staggering about the night before, I am assuming she had a stroke or a funny turn of some sort. She had also gone to skin and bone and lost a lot of her fur.

Twi was 18 months old, and she has been the most baffling ball of fluff I've ever owned. For some reason, despite coming from a great breeder and lavishly reared and handled, she hated people near her. Lots on here probably remember threads I made as her behaviour had me baffled with her unfriendliness. Despite making some positive progress for a few weeks, she regressed back to her usual self and despite many many attempts and efforts I never managed to make any more headway with her, and sadly never will now. I had hoped she would mellow as she got older, but it didn't, and so severe was the extent of her behaviour, handling her, or even petting her a no go area, she became the only hands off pet I have ever had. She was a ham that found you doing anything involving her, intolerable, even replacing the food bowl would have her fly towards you and bite. Yes, Twi was unique. This was a hamster that wouldn't just bite, she would hurl herself towards you, sink her teeth into whatever part of your hand she fancied, hard enough to draw blood, and then try and rip away the chunk of flesh she'd just bitten into, like a little furry piranha fish. And she would do it without any warning whatsoever. I don't know why she behaved as she did, I even tried several new cages thinking she didn't like her surroundings, all to no avail, absolutely nothing I did made any difference. Her last night I knew she wasn't right, because she only tried to bite once before I managed to pick her her up. Despite everything, I had never given up the hope that one day I would finally tame her before it was too late, but it wasn't to be.

Biting aside, she was quite a character and she could be very vocal when she wanted to be! It will be odd not having her around and she will be missed, but she has definitely left a mark on me albeit a slightly different one to what most leave. She had a happy and contented life, I just hope she knows that even though she didn't have cuddles like the others, she was well loved.

Run free Twilight, your finally free of people being near you xxx

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Twilight 5/2/2013 ~13/8/2014

[PikaTay]

I'm so sorry for your loss. She was really beautiful, and I bet she'll make a big impression in hammy heaven with all that bark and bite <3

[rmarkham]

I'm so sorry for your loss :(

She was adorable.

[Erin.R]

I am so sorry for your loss. I have a dwarf that looks a lot like her that is just as mean, or not really mean but he does not want anyone near him. So I know even though she didn't like to be touched or have human interaction she was happy. And I am thankful that I was the one to bring smokey home, can you imagine if someone that knew nothing about hamsters, or wanted a toy for their kids had gotten him or your little girl. Maybe that can give you a little peace of mind. You were able to give her the kind of life she enjoyed even if it was hard on you.
Your story about her wanting to rip a chunk out of your hand made me smile. The first time smokey bite me he latch on and shook back and forth like a wild animal trying to kill and eat its prey:)

[Queen Of The High Teas]

Thank you for your comments:).

Erin your boy sounds like a male version of Twilight:p. Her intense dislike of interaction has had me puzzled from the off, because it was more the sort of behaviour you'd expect from the result of a badly treated and neglected rescue case, not a lovingly well bred, reared and kept hamster! She had plenty of toys and stuff to try and stop her being bored and make up for no handling, though I still felt guilty when the others got cuddles that she couldn't, but she simply wouldn't let me. If I could get her into a container, just (very) occasionally she was holdable, and would sit on my hands, but unfortunately she had the alarming habit of suddenly clamping down on my hands at random. This meant she could only be held a few inches above anything, because it took considerable effort not to reflexively let go of something that is biting you!

Despite this, I am very glad I did get her, because the thought of her as a child's pet is awful, she would have been in the first classified ad going, or worse, because with all the best will in the world, no child would have been happy with this girl. Most get bored of perfectly friendly hamsters, never mind one they couldn't get near. She would most likely have wound up in a tiny cage and never looked at, and I get a lot of comfort knowing that despite being unable to show her much affection, I did manage to stop her ending up like that.

[souffle]

So sorry to hear of your loss. She was full of character right enough from the beginning and a special little lady.
Play well at the bridge Twilight x

[fluffydd]

I'm sorry that Twilight left you. She was a pretty and unique girl xx

[DrKMcK]

Hello QOTHT. I am sorry to see this. I just spotted it today. What a beautiful little hammy Twilight was. And I love the name. Some hammies are just not people oriented I guess. But even though she was not a social girl she was well cared for and loved. I think you are so right about what could have happened to her if it hadn't been you to take her home. Her home looked beautiful. Little fluff didn't know how truely lucky she was. She was truely a hamster who you could put one of those "Beware of the Hamster" signs up for. :-) Even a hammy like Twilight finds a place in a human heart, so I know you will miss her. :-( Run free at the Rainbow Bridge Twilight. :-(

[starshme]

I'm very glad that Twilight wound up with you, it sounds like you gave her a very happy life - much, much happier than she would have been with someone who didn't respect her boundaries enough to enjoy her. I love the image of a furry piranha fish - that's excellent. My sympathies are with you